Marlin Firearms, Defining American Pride in Craftsmanship

An emphasis on quality workers and fine craftsmanship were strong on the mind of Marlin Firearms first President.

An extraordinary Marlin 1873 Deluxe Special.

“Gun making, while utilizing the latest in machinery and equipment, is still largely a matter of craftsmanship. The secret of Marlin superiority lies back of the great factory with its splendid equipment, in the intangible something we call the human element. … Each of them is a craftsman who knows guns and gun making from start to finish. Each of them is trained to strive for perfection down to the smallest and seemingly most insignificant detail. Each of them takes a personal pride in putting into every rifle or shotgun passing through his hands the finest his skills and experience can make possible.”—Frank Kenna, Sr., Founder and first President of The Marlin Firearms Company, in a 1926 address regarding a Marlin stock offer. From the book Marlin Firearms, A History of the Guns and the Company That Made Them, by Lt. Col. William S. Brophy, USAR. Ret.

Did you like this quote? Then we think you’ll love The Winchester Model 94, A Century of Craftsmanship, 2nd Edition, by Robert C. Renneberg.

About Jennifer L.S. Pearsall

Jennifer L.S. Pearsall joined Gun Digest in summer 2011 as a books editor. She began her career selling guns in a retail gun shop and handgun range in Northern Virginia in the early 1990s. Recruited by the NRA to join its editorial staff in 1999, she then went on to succeed as a freelance writer and photographer. She's been a competitive shooter in many disciplines, including sporting clays, IPSC, and metallic blackpowder cartridge silhouette, and she has been an avid hunter for many years.

One thought on “Marlin Firearms, Defining American Pride in Craftsmanship”

My Father bought me my first marlin rifle, a Mod 39A, when I was 8yrs old, some 63 years ago and after untold 1000s of rounds it still looks and shoots as good as it was when it was new. Who could argue with that.